Twenty One Years
by best with breadsticks
Summary: One-shot: Sonny's twenty-first birthday was shaping wasn't exactly what she wanted. But there she was, facing the last person she ever wanted to see again. For youre so katie's song lyric challenge, "Turning twenty-one is a b... to go through"


Author's Note: Hello, everyone! So, my sophomore year of college started last Monday and things have gotten sort of hectic, but not too much. Anyway, I wrote this story for you're so katie's song lyric challenge. I originally planned and plotted to write a completely different story (it involved Zora turning twenty-one and a whole bunch of other more comical things), but about a thousand or so words in I scrapped the idea and wrote this in about two or so hours today.

**I need to put a warning out there that this story contains swearing and drinking**. I put that statement in bold, so it's not a suprise. And because all of the characters involved are either twenty-one or older, I tried to write them more mature than they are on the show, but still similar to how they are on the show. And because they're older and drunk for half this story, I thought their language and actions with one another would be rougher. Especially when it comes to Mrs. Munroe. I thought she might act a bit different, but still the same with her daugher because her daughter is older. Hopefully that will make sense at the end.

This story was inspired by the songs "Wonderful World" by James Morrison and "Damn Rough Night" by Artist vs. Poet. As well as my college cross-country buddies' stories about turning twenty-one and their former love lives.

Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything _Sonny With a Chance_ related or the song "Damn Rough Night" by Artist vs. Poet.

* * *

"_Turning twenty-one is a bitch to go through"_

_

* * *

_

"I'm telling you, Sonny; going to a bar on your twenty-first is no big deal." Tawni flipped her blonde locks from side of her head to the other, as she drove just above the speed limit toward one of Hollywood's premiere clubs.

Sonny sighed, wanting to retaliate against her best friend. "But do we really have to go to _this_ club. I mean, I would be fine just going to a little local favorite, nothing huge. Think of paparazzi that are going to be surrounding this place."

Tawni laughed. "I did. And, hun, this is the perfect night club for two stars such as us." She smiled and glanced over to her companion, who was staring through the windshield blankly.

"Oh, come on, Sonny." Tawni tried her best to sell the idea of partying with her. "Think of all the fun…the cute boys." She grinned imagining the males that would be waiting for them at the club.

"Tawni—" Sonny started, only to be cut off by Tawni.

"Don't 'Tawni' me. You only turn twenty-one once, and I believe it is important for you to live it up to the fullest potential. Sonny, tonight isn't the night for you to be a "good" girl. You have the rest of your life to be modest. Let lose, girl!"

"Yeah, I know—" Sonny began again, only to be drown out by the sound of Tawni's voice.

"We're here!" Tawni exclaimed.

Tawni turned into the parking garage. She hopped out of the convertible simultaneously with Sonny as she handed over her keys to the valet along with a wad of cash. Tawni Hart never parked her own car in a parking garage. They were dirty and filthy and she would never be caught dead strolling from her convertible in such a horrid place.

Tawni quickly looped her arm in Sonny's before she could escape from the situation. Sonny gave her a sheepish smile, attempting to hide the fact that she had actually been trying to flee. She cursed Tawni silently for catching her.

Tawni did her best to strut towards the entrance of the club with Sonny hanging on her arm, swinging her hips with a subtle swagger. While Sonny merely walked normally with her arm still linked to Tawni's, praying this night would be over quite swiftly.

When the girls arrived at the line of people ready to burst through the door, Tawni didn't hesitate to drag Sonny right up to the front and demand to be let in as soon as possible. The bouncer cocked his head at her request, gazing over the line the two-some had just cut.

"I'm sorry, ladies," His eyes met Tawni's directly, trying to intimidate her. "But you're both going to have to wait. We've got a few celebs in tonight and we've got to keep our priorities in order. And though you both are fine-looking babes, you're going to have chill."

Tawni was mortified by the bouncer's denial. Her face morphed into one of disgust in a near instant, as she faced the tall, brawny bouncer. Sonny covered her face with her hand, as she prepared herself from Tawni's verbal attack on the bouncer for insulting her popularity.

"Do you know who I am!" Tawni pointed her pointer finger at his chest. "I am Tawni Hart! I am a star like none other! And do not appreciate you lack of respect for my work! I came here out of my own free-will to spread—"

"Excuse me." A male voice cut in, stopping Tawni's rant. "But these ladies are with me."

Sonny removed her hand from her face to meet the eyes that went along with the voice. She stared wide-eyed at him, hoping that her eyes were deceiving her. Of everyone in the world that could have stepped in, of course, it had to be him.

It had to be the one and only Chad Dylan Cooper.

The bouncer looked surprised and flabbergasted for a second before speaking.

"Oh, my apologies, Mr. Cooper." The bouncer pulled back the velvet rope for the ladies. "I had no idea that you knew them."

Tawni gasped again, ready to verbally attack the bouncer again. But this time, Sonny grabbed her arm and yanked her into the club. Tawni yelped as Sonny pulled her forcefully into the club, twisting her head around hastily to grin cockily at the bouncer one last time.

Chad disappeared into the crowd filling the club for a moment before suddenly appearing next to Sonny.

"Happy birthday, Sonny." He whispered in her ear, his breath hot on her cheek. She could smell the alcohol lingering in his breath. It was obvious he was either at his limit or nearing his limit quickly from the way he slurred through his sentence.

"Thanks, Chad." Sonny replied coldly, letting go of Tawni's hand in favor of wrapping her arms around herself.

He snorted at her response. "Still angry?"

Sonny didn't answer verbally; she simply gave him a stern look. There was no way that getting her into a club was going to fix what he had done. The self-centered, obnoxious attitude he had come to be known for was only one of the many reasons their relationship failed miserably.

Tawni noticed Sonny giving Chad the cold shoulder and thought in best to chime into their conversation. When she had suggested this club to Sonny, she had done her research on whether or not Chad still retained the same social life he had prior to his and Sonny awful break-up. And from what she could tell, he had been avoiding the club scene for the past couple months. And so she was ninety-nine percent sure she was in the clear, but apparently not.

"So," Tawni walked over to the pair. "Why don't I get us a couple drinks and we get this party started?" She smiled at her friend.

Sonny, continuing to ignore Chad, turned her attention to Tawni. "I'll come with you since there's nothing to do over here."

Chad feigned a gasp, mocking Sonny from behind her. "Sonny, you don't want to talk to me?"

Chad couldn't lie about how much it hurt to see Sonny's cold side. Never in the past four years had he felt such a cold wind from the normally perky and cheerful comedian. But ever since that horrible night three months prior to this day, she avoided him like the plague.

She had disliked him at one point in her life and that hurt him painfully, but now she outright hated him and it was killing him inside.

Sonny walked away from Chad, following behind Tawni to the bar to purchase a drink or two. She had prayed earlier that this night would move in fast forward, but now she was begging inside for the ability to just skip this night in its entirety. It was painful enough for her to know that Chad lived in the same area as her, but it was eating her alive that he was in the room as her.

She hadn't wanted the event that inevitable destroyed their relationship to have occurred, but it did. She cried for what seemed like a thousand nights over the loss of four years with a person she was positively sure was the one. But there she was, three months ago, standing at the door of their shared apartment, watching a sight she wished she could erase from her mind through the window.

How was she supposed to take him back, when there was nothing for her to take back? He had given everything away to some whore, who he claimed he didn't love.

He didn't love her, he said.

It was apparent that night he didn't love anyone, but himself.

* * *

The night was relatively uneventful for the next three or so hours. Sonny and Tawni remained tied to the bar, drinking away their sorrows as they flirted with the hot bartender. Tawni offered him two-hundred dollars if he would strip for Sonny's birthday. Sonny had originally blushed at the thought, but after a drink or two was all for the private show.

"Sonny, I don't mean to leave you alone, but I have to go freshen up." Tawni leaned over toward her friend so Sonny could hear her; the scent of vodka lofting in her breath, as she announced her looming departure from the bar area.

Sonny nodded, taking another sip of her rum and Coke. Tawni smiled, checking her phone as she left Sonny alone at the bar.

Sonny attention was taken again by the bartender smirking at her. But her attention wasn't held long on him, for a voice infiltrated her ear.

"Is this seat taken?" The voice asked, breathing on her, giving her a whiff of liquor he had been drinking all night. Sonny cringed at the voice, knowing exactly who it was.

"Leave me alone, Chad." Sonny responded, playing with the straw in her drink. "I don't want to talk to you."

"Sonny," he sighed. "I just wanted to give you a birthday present and then I promise I'll leave."

She turned her head to look at him in the eyes. The charm she had fallen for all those years ago was still there staring back at her. She knew she should turn away and ignore him for the rest of the night, but something about the look he gave her, she could feel his sincerity.

Damn him and his damn charm.

He held up the box, raising an eyebrow at her. "So, what do you say? Just for a moment, we can pretend that we don't despise each other."

She shook her slightly, but yet she accepted the gift.

"Thank you." She took the box from him. The box was wrapped in a bright yellow wrapping paper with black dots scattered randomly around. She gently opened one corner of the present, slowly peeling back the paper.

"Come on, Sonny," he laughed. "I know you know how to get angry and tear stuff apart. Rip that paper apart!"

She rolled her eyes and continued to peel back the paper slowly. Eventually the gift was revealed. A compact hairdryer, just like the one she had thrown at him the night he ruined her life.

"You bought me a replacement hairdryer?" She smiled sadly, thinking back on her rage.

She had grabbed a hold of her hairdryer lying on her dresser and whipped it at him with as much force as she could, smashing his favorite mirror in the process. She could remember the glass shards clear as day sprinkling down upon his bed, him, and the whore. It was another part of the memory that would never fade.

"No, actually it's the same hairdryer." He smirked. "I thought I should give it back to you. It was the only thing you left at the apartment."

"Oh, well thank you for returning it." She shoved the hairdryer and wrapping paper into her purse. "So are you going to leave now on your own, or do I have to leave first?"

"No, no, I'll leave. But first," he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. For everything. I know that's a tired and overused excuse, but it's the only one I have. She didn't mean anything. I never meant to hurt you like that and it's been eating at me for months. I'm sorry."

Sonny stared at him, taking note of the genuine sorrow in her eyes. She wasn't one to not give second, third and even fourth chances, but situation was harder than any other she had ever dealt with.

She loved him with all her heart at one point in her life.

She still loved him very dearly, but he had almost killed her.

She took a breath, gazing into her purse at the hairdryer.

"I forgave you a long time ago, but that doesn't mean that everything will ever be the same. You say you didn't love her, that it was a mistake. But was she really the mistake? Or was I? If you loved me as much as you claimed to have, you wouldn't have done that. We wouldn't be here right now."

They sat in silence for a minute or two, both staring blankly at the bar counter.

"Can we give it another chance?" He asked quietly.

"I don't think there's another chance out there…" Sonny replied even more quietly than him.

He growled. "You've given up on me, haven't you? You don't realize how much this kills me, do you? Well, Sonny, it does. I just can't forget four years of my life with someone when I was sure – absolutely sure – I was in love with them!" He stood up from his bar stool, clenching his fist.

"Then why did you do it!" She could feel herself becoming enraged once more over the subject, but this time everything they said and did would be alcohol induced. "Why did you bring her home! If you loved me, you would have thought more clearly! You would have –" Sonny couldn't think of the words to say, and so a frustrated cry emitted from her lips instead.

"Damn it, Sonny! I messed up!" He shouted back at her. "I don't know what in hell I was thinking, but I wasn't! I loved you! That's about all I knew! And all I'll ever know! And I still love you more than you realize!"

Another frustrated cry came through her lips as she pulled the hairdryer from her purse and smacked him across the face with it, knocking him into the bar. He stumbled backwards, hitting a few glasses off the counter of the bar and to the floor before he, himself, toppled to the floor. And there he lay on the hard, cold floor of the bar surrounded by glass shards as he nursed the newly formed bruise on his cheek.

"Chad, you bastard." She snarled as she grabbed her purse from counter, whirling around in full-force madness.

"Keep it this time!" She threw the hairdryer at him before storming out of the club fully enraged.

She called a taxi. Once one appeared in front of her, she hopped in swiftly. She bit her lip hard, trying to stop the tears from pouring from her eyes the entire ride home.

But tonight confirmed what she had feared for the past three months; there was no way their formerly perfect relationship could ever be saved.

* * *

She arrived at the apartment she now again shared with her mother and phoned Tawni to inform her that she had left. She apologized to her best friend and promised to make it up to her somehow. Tawni was surprisingly sympathetic and promised to kick Chad's ass if she saw him at all that night.

Sonny hung up the phone and curled up on the couch with a blanket.

"I know another drink is the last thing you want, but," Mrs. Munroe held up a bottle of beer. "I thought we could share as part of a mother-daughter moment."

Sonny half-smiled, accepting the half glass of beer her mother handed her. She repositioned herself under the blanket she was curled up in as she watched the news story about her assault on Chad Dylan Cooper.

She knew that a police visit was looming in the near future, so she thought it best to spend her last few moments of freedom at home sulking over her life.

Her mother put an arm around her, allowing her to rest her head on her shoulder.

"Mom," Sonny's attention remained on the television. "Turning twenty-one is a bitch."

Mrs. Munroe kissed her daughter's forehead. "Honey, life's a bitch."

* * *

Author's Note: It's not my usual fluff is it? Was it any good? I'm pretty sure this was my first really dramatic story. Should I stick with my lovely-dovey Chad and Sonny and stay away from this drama or was it alright?

Anyway, thank you for reading!


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